Minutes after Raj Thackeray’s arrest, this diminutive housewife took to the streets, doing the rounds of central Mumbai areas with her foot-soldiers, forcing shopowners to down their shutters and chasing hawkers off the streets.
By evening, almost all Parel and Elphinstone Road—an area dominated by the Marathi-speaking Mumbaiites and the former hub of the textile mills now slowly making way for high-rises—were brought to a halt by Supriya Dalvi and her posse of women activists of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena.
The 30-something Dalvi is vibhag pramukh of the women’s wing of the MNS, responsible for 13 wards from Parel to Nagpada. And on Wednesday, she walked around with a ragtag team of Thackeray supporters, asking shop-owners to shut shop exactly like she would when she was a Shiv Sainik.
“They have told us not to indulge in any unlawful activities or we will be arrested. But I say, if we have to be arrested we might as well do something,” said the short and somewhat stout Dalvi. “We are ensuring that all shops here are shut. After all, they have arrested Rajsaheb. All the retailers along the route to KEM Hospital and Wadia Hospital have shut, now we are telling others to do the same.”
Dalvi, a homemaker when she’s not a politician, belongs to a family of former mill workers. Like thousands of other Central Mumbai families, Dalvi’s parents and siblings nurture the angst of the unemployed former mill workers. A women’s wing leader with the Shiv Sena for over 10 years, she shifted allegiance with the belief that the young Raj Thackeray “would get justice for the Marathi manoos”.
In 2003, her mother Surekha Chavan had to take voluntary retirement from the New Hind Mills in Ghodapdeo, a tiny Central Mumbai locality choc-a-bloc with now-defunct mills. Chavan, past 50, had to start a small beauty parlour in Lalbaug to support her family.
On Wednesday, Chavan joined her daughter on the streets as men gathered in corners to watch and speculate on what could happen next. “Our youth are unemployed. We lost our jobs and now they are building malls in the places of mills. Where will the Marathi manoos go?” Chavan asked.
Years of being a Sainik have taught Dalvi to keep a watchful eye out for the patrolling police van and, as her women supporters entered each shop in the bustling shopping area around Elphinstone Road station and Parel, Dalvi played the chaperoning MNS local leader to perfection, ensuring that no shops were vandalised but everyone from the largest confectionery—Gouri Shankar Sweets—to a small-time flower vendor on a footpath closed business for the day.
Dalvi’s team was one among dozens of such groups that roamed the streets on Wednesday, soon after Thackeray was arrested.
In the Sainath Nagar area of Powai, the elderly Sunita Chavan whose “rakta khavatle (blood boils)” on seeing the plight of Marathi manoos in Mumbai, led the local MNS supporters in ensuring that the shops in the area were shut.
A former worker with the Nationalist Congress Party, Sunita joined the MNS last week after Raj Thackeray’s remarks on migrants from UP and Bihar. A mother of three and a housewife, she said: “The shopkeepers were scared. We told them that they could open later if Rajsaheb is released,” said Sunita.
“When the mills were operating, there were a lot of Marathis in Mumbai, but the scene has changed now. The new generation does not have job opportunities, we are hurt by the fact that the local youth are being robbed of their rights,” said Sunita. “Raj Thackeray is the true leader of the Marathi manoos, he is speaking for us and speaking the truth.”
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By evening, almost all Parel and Elphinstone Road—an area dominated by the Marathi-speaking Mumbaiites and the former hub of the textile mills now slowly making way for high-rises—were brought to a halt by Supriya Dalvi and her posse of women activists of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena.
The 30-something Dalvi is vibhag pramukh of the women’s wing of the MNS, responsible for 13 wards from Parel to Nagpada. And on Wednesday, she walked around with a ragtag team of Thackeray supporters, asking shop-owners to shut shop exactly like she would when she was a Shiv Sainik.
“They have told us not to indulge in any unlawful activities or we will be arrested. But I say, if we have to be arrested we might as well do something,” said the short and somewhat stout Dalvi. “We are ensuring that all shops here are shut. After all, they have arrested Rajsaheb. All the retailers along the route to KEM Hospital and Wadia Hospital have shut, now we are telling others to do the same.”
Dalvi, a homemaker when she’s not a politician, belongs to a family of former mill workers. Like thousands of other Central Mumbai families, Dalvi’s parents and siblings nurture the angst of the unemployed former mill workers. A women’s wing leader with the Shiv Sena for over 10 years, she shifted allegiance with the belief that the young Raj Thackeray “would get justice for the Marathi manoos”.
In 2003, her mother Surekha Chavan had to take voluntary retirement from the New Hind Mills in Ghodapdeo, a tiny Central Mumbai locality choc-a-bloc with now-defunct mills. Chavan, past 50, had to start a small beauty parlour in Lalbaug to support her family.
On Wednesday, Chavan joined her daughter on the streets as men gathered in corners to watch and speculate on what could happen next. “Our youth are unemployed. We lost our jobs and now they are building malls in the places of mills. Where will the Marathi manoos go?” Chavan asked.
Years of being a Sainik have taught Dalvi to keep a watchful eye out for the patrolling police van and, as her women supporters entered each shop in the bustling shopping area around Elphinstone Road station and Parel, Dalvi played the chaperoning MNS local leader to perfection, ensuring that no shops were vandalised but everyone from the largest confectionery—Gouri Shankar Sweets—to a small-time flower vendor on a footpath closed business for the day.
Dalvi’s team was one among dozens of such groups that roamed the streets on Wednesday, soon after Thackeray was arrested.
In the Sainath Nagar area of Powai, the elderly Sunita Chavan whose “rakta khavatle (blood boils)” on seeing the plight of Marathi manoos in Mumbai, led the local MNS supporters in ensuring that the shops in the area were shut.
A former worker with the Nationalist Congress Party, Sunita joined the MNS last week after Raj Thackeray’s remarks on migrants from UP and Bihar. A mother of three and a housewife, she said: “The shopkeepers were scared. We told them that they could open later if Rajsaheb is released,” said Sunita.
“When the mills were operating, there were a lot of Marathis in Mumbai, but the scene has changed now. The new generation does not have job opportunities, we are hurt by the fact that the local youth are being robbed of their rights,” said Sunita. “Raj Thackeray is the true leader of the Marathi manoos, he is speaking for us and speaking the truth.”
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Part of modernization.. although sad the government wasn't foresighted enough to create alternate opportunities. I feel sad for them because they may not even have education to boast of.
Let's get real - The malls in Lower Parel have been operational for 2+ years now. These workers would have known for at least 2 years that there wouldn't be as much work. Instead of helping themselves find other jobs, how cool is it if they're still waiting for some minister to come do something for them? Getting shops to close down is harming business further. This will not achieve anything.
Sadly, all people do is pass judgements and criticize. Come back and post if you've helped anyone with livelihood... if you contributed to increasing the level of literacy in the country so all this shit doesn't happen to people in future.
Ashutoshswamy:
What skills do you need to work in a mall? Don't make a fetish of skills and education. What skills and how much education do you need to work in a mall? How much? Why don't these malls specify that? How do you know the mill workers children don't have those skills/education?
Morever, what are the skills neccessary?
BTW, Maharashtra has 77 % literacy (2001.) It would be around 90 %. That is next only to Kerala. Better than TN, AP, KA, WB, GJ.
So is lack of education or low literacy the real answer? Come on, don't hide behind your Bengali sneer.
The CPM unions in Bengal have unionized every mall and multiplex in Kolkata. Every mall is unionized-and you guessed it-only with Bengalis. The CPM's unions ensure that only Bengalis are selected. As a Bengali, you surely have no objection.
Would a similiar thing be to your liking here?
BTW, how sure are you that the people above do not have education or literacy?
'Sadly, all people do is pass judgements and criticize.'
Ahem... like you are doing
Critisizing goverments lack of 'foresight' in creating 'alternate opportunities', giving judgement that the children of these locals may lack 'education worth boasting of', giving gyaan on things like mordernization...
Did you even read the post ?
Let's get real is right. Real is what is happening on the streets.
Go and feel sad. I hope that is not your only contribution to 'increasing the level of literacy in the country'
Ashutoshswamy:
What skills do you need to work in a mall? Don't make a fetish of skills and education. What skills and how much education do you need to work in a mall? How much? Why don't these malls specify that? How do you know the mill workers children don't have those skills/education?
Morever, what are the skills neccessary?
BTW, Maharashtra has 77 % literacy (2001.) It would be around 90 %. That is next only to Kerala. Better than TN, AP, KA, WB, GJ.
So is lack of education or low literacy the real answer? Come on, don't hide behind your Bengali sneer.
The CPM unions in Bengal have unionized every mall and multiplex in Kolkata. Every mall is unionized-and you guessed it-only with Bengalis. The CPM's unions ensure that only Bengalis are selected. As a Bengali, you surely have no objection.
Would a similiar thing be to your liking here?
BTW, how sure are you that the people above do not have education or literacy?
Don't prejudge:
Check out the following stats:
CBSE class X: 600,000
ICSE class X: 200,000
SSC Board X: 13,00,000
CBSE class XII: 400,000
ICSE class XII: 100,000
HSC Board XII: 10,00,000
Engineering gradutates:
West Bengal: 15,000
Gujarat: 6,000
Kerala: 22,000
Karnataka: 40,000
Maharashtra: 55,000
Literacy rates: (selected states re 2001 census)
Maharashtra: 77 %
Kerala: 90.9
Tamil Nadu: 73.6
Andhra Pradesh: 60
Karnataka: 67
West Bengal: 68
Gujarat: 69
Haryana: 55 %
Punjab: 68 %
Orissa: 62 %
Himachal : 77 %
So, now just how much lack of education is there in MH vis a vis other states?
the mumbai-mns issue is an eye opener to central govt and so called NATIONALISTS,LIBERALS etc etc. issue of preference to locals was not looked into seriously till now and now the issue has snowballed into a pan-indian problem threatening the unity of the country.
how long can people( kannadigas in karnataka, marathis in mumbai)suffer injustice .muted feelings have comeout full throttle.
And will continue to come out. Fear not. Or fear-depending on who you are.
Come on, don't hide behind your Bengali sneer.
Lay off, man. I'm no Bengali but you're a truly, small-minded, bigot. I would much rather be out helping poor people in ways I can than indulge your negativity. Continue wallowing in self pity and playing the victim.
Sandesh:
Sadly, all people do is pass judgements and criticize.
I didn't say I wasn't given in to doing this. However, I'm glad I apportion some money every month in sponsoring a children's eductaion.
Critisizing goverments lack of 'foresight' in creating 'alternate opportunities', giving judgement that the children of these locals may lack 'education worth boasting of', giving gyaan on things like mordernization...
You need to get real, dude. If the govt. had successfully created alternative work opportunities, a lot of mill workers without work wouldn't be in so much pain. Just btw, I used the word 'May not have education' and not 'Do not have education'.
When I talk education, I mean the mill workers well above 20 yrs.. not their children. You think children were working in these mills and that children are educated and should have been given work in malls.. Worse!
What exactly is so bad about my point?
Sorry about mistaking you for a Bengali. But the issue is not the mill workers, but their children getting work in malls. There is nothing wrong with this demand at all. What is your objection to it? The MNS et al must demand this. No one is saying that any mill worker's son must get a job. First find the best ones and train them as well as you can. There is nothing even remotely wrong with this demand. I wonder why and where you suddenly jumped to 'funding a child's education".
Good to know you are funding a child's education. But that is not the issue here. The issue is of malls built on mill land giving preference to mill workers's children; especially in unskiled jobs. I am glad you believe in being a good samaratirain-but how is your funding a child even relevant to this debate?
And how and why do you object to the very reasonable demand that mill worker's children must get jobs in those malls that are coming up-at least the unskilled jobs? What is the object?
About smallmindedensss..dude please. I haven't called you a small minded bigot. If Maharashtrians were actually more parochial, xenophobic, narrow-minded, nepotistic, chauvanistic etc they would not be in this mess in the first place.
If the govt. had successfully created alternative work opportunities, a lot of mill workers without work wouldn't be in so much pain....the government would have to set up a company for this purpose. NO government provides employment anymore, anywhere in the world. SO I don't see what exactly the government could have done to provide alternative work opportunities. Can you give me any idea? Hire them as constables or government employees perhaps?
But wait. These malls coming up are generation at least 100-200 jobs per mall. So these represent plenty of jobs right? So the government has generated alternative job opportunities right?
What are these shopping complexes coming up on mill land? Aren't they "alternative work opportunities" which you feel the government should have created? THey have created them right?
So now, no blaming the government? It did its job and created alternative employment opportunities. Now the MNS's demands are perfectly fair, seen in that context?
What say?
Ashutosh:
Like you i do think that a lot of people pass judgements and critize BUT unlike you i do not jump to the conclusion that 'all' people do is pass judgements and critisize
this is because i know that a lot of people also pass views and raise questions which are open for debate
it takes a non-partial, non-partisan observer to make the difference between the two
putting an article on a website like this can be asking for discussion, debates, thoughts on it. you should not automatically start assuming that it is a criticism or judgement of the poster
It is good that you apportion some money every month in sponsoring a child's education but don't go assuming automatically that other posters who may offer different views than yours don't do so themselves and are therefore not qualified to post articles or worse, comment against your posts
Tell me something honestly. You are aportioning some money every month to 'a' child's education but are you not saving/spending many times that amount to first ensuring the education of your 'own' child ?
If you do then you will have understood who needs to get real on the issue of the locals getting preference
If you do not, then beware. you will have a very hard time answering your own child and it will be much much more difficult than answering me
;-)
vikas goes around accusing other people of south indians, north indians, bengalis ... :D I think he is trying to provoke all those communities against maharashtrians, and he himself may be a mulayam-bhaiyya trying to create trouble! Anyone who doesnt agree with him is from everywhere else in the country!
just joking vikas-bhayya, just joking!
(actually i agree with a lot of vikas' arguments - thought not everything).
Vikas, Sandesh
My stress on education came about because you mentioned employment for mill workers' children.. well, children should not be working at all. They should be made to study.
In my experience, the one thing that we as a nation lack is that. If poor people can't afford, then the likes of us should apportion at least 500 - 1000 Rs every month for this.. how many children can one person take care of? Not too many. So it would be ideal if young people like us influenced and led our friends by example. I see this as positive. (Sandesh: I don't have kids.. hell! I'm not even married, dude.)
If 20 of us friends collect 10k (500 each)per month, we can pay the school fees for a whole year for 3 kids.. Fee per month is 250-300 Rs. Roughly 36 children a year get education because of this. This is what we're doing. I'm not stating all this here to gain brownie points, guys.
Back to the protest that mill workers get jobs in malls - Just to play devil's advocate - What happens to educated people when companies wrap up operations, go bust or just lay off people? They develop alternate skills, update themselves and find work. Unfortunately, workers in mills have a very different skillset than that needed to get jobs in malls. People who tried to upgrade themselves would have landed some jobs, I'm sure.
The need for each one of us on this planet is to adapt and upgrade ourselves continuously. Hell, if I owned a huge departmental store in one of those malls, I'd demand utmost quality of service from whoever I hired - mill worker, native, or outsider. Even at home, we tell domestic help - clean properly.. do that properly..Anyway, I can go on.
Vikas: I'm an Indian before I claim allegiance to any state.
But Ashutosh babu:
What skills/upgradation of skills do you need to work in the following jobs which malls generate:
toilet cleaners
sweepers
security guards
moppers (the people who mop floors)
helpers
telephone operators (people who answer phone calls and inquiries)
These are jobs which require no skills, zilch. Anyone can do them. So here where is the question of mill workers children needing to upgrade themselves to get those jobs? There are no skills required to do those jobs anyway, so what upgradation is needed? Your point is well taken but rather trite and dangerous even, because you seem to think (like too many Maharashtrians:( that in all other states, everyone has tremendous professional training or that the mall boys/girls have training. from whatever I have seen, that does not seem to be the case. The Maharashtrian perception that in other states, everyone has very high levels of skills and every baby is born with professional training and skills and merit (the first word a baby in other states utters is "merit"), sadly this is all just that: a myth.
Yes, utmost quality of service is demanded. But in unskilled jobs, mill workers should be a shoo-in as they have no upgradation needed to do those jobs. And utmost quality of service and being/an organization dominated by Maharashtrians are not contradictory, I can give you the following examples:
BEST(By FAAAAAAAAAAAR the best bus transport in India)
MSEB: For 50 years, no power cuts in MH when everyone else was having many hours of power cuts.
BSES: best electricity supply undertaking. Trust me, I have lived in other states. They don't even SPEAK to you if you don;t know the local language; efficiency-the less said the better. In fact, since Reliance took it over, it has got worse and worse and worse.
Mumbai police: Best in the world, after Scotland Yard? Remember this? I agree its a HUGE exaggaration. Still it must have been pretty good. Who filled the ranks of this police-who constituted 98-99 % of its ranks?
Incidentally, it has got worse and worse at a time when the Maharashtrian representation has GONE DOWN AND DOWN AND DOWN. So, it proves me point about Maharashtrians being more efficient than given credit for.
Anyway, I am getting totally sidetracked and hence merely reproduce what I said in the starting to drive home my point:
What skills/upgradation of skills do you need to work in the following jobs which malls generate:
toilet cleaners
sweepers
security guards
moppers (the people who mop floors)
helpers
telephone operators (people who answer phone calls and inquiries)
These are jobs which require no skills, zilch. Anyone can do them. No upgradation is neccessary. Actually 100 % of the mall employees can be Maharashtrian, and it won't make a damn difference-these are jobs which require no skills, very little skill or some skill. The formula can be as follows:
Unskilled jobs: 100 % to mill workers children
Semi-skilled/skilled jobs: Preference first for mill workers children
Preference for other Maharashtrians in Mumbai
Preference for non-Maharashtrians domiciled in Mumbai
100 % of the unskilled jobs can certainly go to mill workers''s children. Without a doubt.
So here where is the question of mill workers children needing to upgrade themselves to get those jobs? There are no skills required to do those jobs anyway, so what upgradation is needed?
Swamy, your point about merit, training, competence, skills is well taken but rather trite and dangerous even, because you seem to think (like too many Maharashtrians:( that in all other states, everyone has tremendous professional training or that the mall boys/girls have training. from what I have seen, that does not seem to be the case at all. The Maharashtrian perception that in other states, everyone has very high levels of skills and every baby is born with professional training and skills and merit (the first word a baby in other states utters is "merit"), sadly this is all just that: a myth. Everyone who occupies jobs in other states does not occupy because of extraordinary skills or training-if that was the case, these states would have been America by now:). There is such a thing as "nepotism", such a thing as local people being preference. Time we start applying the same thing here.
Yes, utmost quality of service is demanded. But in unskilled jobs, mill workers should be a shoo-in as they have no upgradation needed to do those jobs.
Hard work is one angle, skills is another.
BTW, Asthipanjar, saurabh, kiran, funaholic but ESPECIALLY asthipanjar:
the following link is for you!
http://www.indiaedunews.net/West_Bengal/No_seats_for_outsiders_in_West_Bengal_govt._engineering_colleges_2042/
www.ncreducationscoop.com/story/2007/9/11/51047/7886 - 18k
www.collegesearch.in/blog.htm?param=showComments&topicId=6084 - 24k -
Education city' for Haryana
NEW DELHI MARCH 13, 2007: The Haryana Chief Minister, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, today announced that an "education city" of international standards would soon be developed in the State for providing excellent education to students.
Speaking at the closing session of the International Jat Intellectual Meet in the Capital, Mr. Hooda said 25 per cent seats in the institutes at the education city would be reserved for the students of Haryana.
Haryana private universities must reserve seats: Hooda
Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda Wednesday said private universities being set up in the state would have to reserve 25 percent seats for local students.
Hooda said 10 percent of the reserved seats would be for students belonging to scheduled castes. Another five percent of the seats would be available to poor students free of cost.
He said these conditions were mandatory under legislation for private universities being set up in the state.
The government has allowed private universities to be set up in Haryana to strengthen the academic system and provide quality education.
The Haryana government has also proposed an education city in Sonepat district of the state adjoining Delhi.
vikasbhaiyya,
why give me a link - i dont run any schools or colleges.
But i already said u have a point about reservation for locals etc - so what more can i say.
I can say, please start ten times more colleges and schools so this debate becomes irrelevant. Or i can say, dont start them, reservations are better. reservations are the backward looking answer, starting more is the forward looking answer.
Asthipanjar swamy,
I am not giving you a link for that reason. I am giving you the link to show you the proof.
At some point, you will ask: "Proof? Proof? Proof?"
This is why I intend to give not only this link but all other links to prove my point about all other states. Hence, expect many more links about other states as well:)
BTW, start more colleges, but not in MH. MH has too many damn colleges. Instead, spread out 200 colleges in 100 different locations, instead of having 200 colleges in Pune and 300 in Mumbai. The current situation is that everyone has to flock to one place and that naturally causes resentment. Hence, start 10 times more colleges BUT-
NOT IN MAHARASHTRA. Please start them in all other states o they need not come here for education.
Asthipanjar:
One final tease from my side. In AP, 85 % of the seats are reserved-ZONE WISE. Get it? That is, each zone of AP (there are 7 zones) gives 85 % reservation to students from that zone and only 15 % of the seats are left to people of other zones from AP and non-Telugus.
Can you beat it? Reservation even zone wise-that too 85 %?
you know vikas, you hide these gems in bullshit :D
So Maharashtra has a lot of colleges, but they are concentrated in Mumbai and Pune? very interesting point. ANd your suggestion is also great - to spread them out.
People will ALWAYS come to a big city for education and jobs. Only way to stop that is by becoming a small city.
About AP:
Are you saying, every third rate thing in Andhra we should imitate too?
"People will ALWAYS come to a big city for education and jobs. Only way to stop that is by becoming a small city."
First statement TRUE. Second statement FALSE
Other way to stop that is by developing local cities in terms of education and jobs
It is the harder way no doubt but in the long term it is the better way for the entire country
BTW, start more colleges, but not in MH. MH has too many damn colleges. Instead, spread out 200 colleges in 100 different locations, instead of having 200 colleges in Pune and 300 in Mumbai. The current situation is that everyone has to flock to one place and that naturally causes resentment. Hence, start 10 times more colleges BUT-
NOT IN MAHARASHTRA. Please start them in all other states o they need not come here for education.
PLease, please start more colleges in North India and Eastern India. That way, these people would stop coming to Pune in such large numbrs. Shift 150 of Punés 300 colleges to North/Eastern/north eastern India. We are really tired of having this influx of outstate students into Pune.
Better to have 10-20 tiems the colleges, BUT PLEASE not in MH-anywhere in MH. Not in Nagpur or Amravati either. Please have new colleges strictly outside Maharashtra. Ten times the colleges but in the following:
Chandigarh
Delhi
Jaipur
Jamshedpur
So and so forth. MH has waaaaaaaaay tooooooo many damn colleges. PLease have most colleges in Northern and Eastern India.
Asthipanjar:
Please see the following article:
"Bitter Memories". Do a google search on it and add Andhra to it, you'll get it. It gives the full explaination.
What is so third rate about it? Are you saying, every third rate thing in Andhra we should imitate too...I am yet to understand, what is so third rate about it? What is so third rate-can you explain to me?
Or is this too complicated a matter for the likes of me to understand:). Please try explaining, I shall try and understand...
People will ALWAYS come to a big city for education and jobs. Only way to stop that is by becoming a small city.
So the following...Chennai-does it get people for education and jobs?
Hyderabad...heard of people going to Hyderabad for education?
Bangalore...heard of people going to Bangalore for education?
BTW, heard about Oxford, Cambridge-these are cities which people flock to for education. They are certainly NOT big cities.
SO what's the big idea?
Vikas:
You mentioned the following roles:
1. toilet cleaners
2. sweepers
3. security guards
4. moppers (the people who mop floors)
5. helpers
6. telephone operators (people who answer phone calls and inquiries)
Dude, I doubt any mill worker who was working on the shop floor would want to work as a toilet cleaner, security guard, mopper..
Let me present an analogy - When IT companies downsize, a lot of people are rendered jobless. Will any programmer want to work as a driver or a personal assistant fixing meetings? I doubt if many will even want to work shifts in a BPO. There you go..
As for helpers - Can't expect all to have the natural gift for making a sale.. helpers do more than just showing products. I agree, some could be helpers and may have even bceome so.
Telephone operators need to be able to speak good English. Bombay attracts a lot of foreigners too. There education would be required.
Don't kid yourself thinking that shop owners in malls went to other states to get cheap manpower. Locals are preferred because companies don't want the additional headache of worrying about their accomodation etc.
Telephone operators need to be able to speak good English. Bombay attracts a lot of foreigners too. There education would be required...dude this point is fallacious. Mumbai's foreigners are not coming to shop in malls and so on. Out of the shoppers, hardly anyone is a foreinger.
Don't kid yourself that you need English because a lot of foreigners visit Mumbai. This has to be funniest thing I have ever heard. Out of the 1000 people going to malls, not even 1 would be a foreinger. The foreingers in Mumbai would NOT be coming to shop in malls. Don't kid yourself.
I never said they went to other states and so on. That is what they are doing, there is no need for me to say anything. Just go to a mall and see for yourself. Ask those workers yourself, do you think I'm a liar? You have already accused me of being a stupid bigot-am I a liar too:) Dude, I must tell you-this is not MADE UP, i have actually gone to quite a few malls and done some observation.
ATW, for these kind of jobs, the company is not too worried about accomadation and other facilties. Don't kid yourself that the company is bothered about accomadation.
Last point: Companies do not want people with regional roots in Mumbai. Rather, roots in Mumbai. Don't kid yourself that I am kidding you. Even Ambarish Mishra admits this in his Friday editoral in the Hindustan Times, that companies just did not want people with roots in the city and especially Marathis. Regardless of competence, they didn't want Marathis and for that matter, anyone native to that place. They specificially did not want people with roots in Mumbai-
This is a non-Maharashtrian admitting it;not a Maharashtrian, not an MNS member, not a Shiv Sainik. He openly writes that companies as A RULE did not hire those with roots in the city.
Don't kid yourself into believing that all recruitment is merit-based.
1. toilet cleaners
2. sweepers
3. security guards
4. moppers (the people who mop floors)
5. helpers
6. telephone operators (people who answer phone calls and inquiries)
These jobs can all be done by Maharashtrians; if not mill workers children. Even if mill workers children cannot do them (because of dignity) poor Maharashtrians (which is tautological-because all Maharashtrians are poor:))can certainly do them?
Or is this also being a stupid bigot?
Dude, one of the malls in Pune is manned by a Keralite telephone operator who speaks the following languages:
No Marathi
Virtually no Hindi
Some English
Competence, anyone? Try phoning up malls in Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Kerala-and just see how fluent their English was. Just see how fluent their telephoneoperators were. You will get a real surprise.
These cities attract a lot of foreigners too, right:)?
What is so third rate about it? Are you saying, every third rate thing in Andhra we should imitate too...I am yet to understand, what is so third rate about it? What is so third rate-can you explain to me?
Or is this too complicated a matter for the likes of me to understand:). Please try explaining, I shall try and understand
Any reservation is a third-rate habit for me - First rate would be to have more schools, colleges, whatever and remove the scarcity.
First rate would be to have abundant resources and opportunities instead of fighting like shit-covered dogs over little bones our murderous politicians throw at us.
First rate would be never needing to ask for preference and being able to get what I want on sheer merit. If I have to ask for preference, that means the society / state / country is fucked up.
As you asked earlier, I have heard of people from across India going everywhere for studies. I definitely do not have statistics, but I have found Maharashtrians studying in Bangalore, Kannadigas and Manipuris in Delhi, Biharis in Trivandrum, Kashmiris in hyderabad. Big deal. (maybe you are right about the maharashtra part, but i dont know about it nor do I have stats. just making this clear.)
True, but the numbers are what matters. The numbers. Maharashtrians in Bangalore as NATIVE to Bangalore-domiciled there. Hence, for them studying in Bangalore is like a Parsi going to a college in Mumbai. They are not going anywhere. The rest of the people you name-they are a micro minority. It is the numbers which matter, not 1 student in one place and 1000000000 students in another. It is not comparable at all. Yes, you may have pockets of students everywhere from everyplace but is it signicant in numerical terms?
No it isn't. The number of Maharashtrians in other states is puny-the reverse is monstrous. Hence, you might have pockets of Biharis in one place, pockets of Kashmiris in another and so on.
You will see quite clearly: Pune is in a league of its own.
The big question is: is it significant in numerical terms? What is the ratio of outstate students to state students in these place? Even just asking people, no stats. Anecdotal evidence. You will see quite clearly, there is no large scale presence of students. If one has to compare, the numbers must be there in both places. It is the numerical signifance which matters, not merely the presence. In fact, what really matters is the numerical signifance i.e. how many such people are there. Just ask people if you can, students and so on, if you get the chance.
Maharashtrians are not going to other states to study unless its IIT/IIM/ kind of thing. Your average degree? Forget it-that Maharashtrian must be native to that place.
Why would a Maharashtrian go to other states when people are pouring into his state to study?
BTW, your comment on the reservation in AP is odd. Don't you think that 85 % zonal reservation ensures that the state government has to:
a) spread out colleges everywhere
b.) ensure that students can go to colleges nearby
c.) ensure balanced regional development of all regions
don't you think that such a policy ensures balanced regional development?
arre yaar vikasbhaiyya
i am no expert on education, and was just making the point that people go everywhere. Maybe maharashtrians dont go everywhere because they have mumbai!
If there was no Mumbai, maharashtrians probably would be leaving and going to wherever there were a metro, who knows.
I frankly dont understand the point of this conversation... fact is there is a mumbai now, everyone considers it as india's financial capital instead of maharashtra's state capital. nobody can fix that :)
True:
But-you still haven't pointed out why AP''s move is third-rate.
And what about Pune, Nashik, Nagpur, Kohlapur-what about them?
Or are they also "the nations property" i.e. they belong to everyone in India BARRING Maharashtrians or rather, everyone in India first, Maharashtrians have no rights at all?
Pune, Nashi, Nagpur, Kolhapur -
I will say, the choice is with Maharashtra. Pune is going the way of Mumbai. Others, I dont know now.
Any city which becomes focused on business instead of government jobs - they lose their identity today or tomorrow.
There is no need for violence though. All MNS and SEna has to do is, go and nicely tell all companies in Pune, Nashik etc that they should hire only Maharashtrians. And give them one years time. They will either fire all non-Maharashtrians, or move out. I think they will move out, but does it matter!
And give them one years time. They will either fire all non-Maharashtrians, or move out. I think they will move out, but does it matter!
So Bangalore-has it lost its identity? There are more IT jobs (700,000) than government jobs (500,000) in KA. Certainly in Bangalore the situation applies.
Do you really think they move out? Not at all: they will reduce expansion, not expand in MH but expand in other states and thereby automatically cut down on emigration from other states. Or they will retain their current size.
Moving out is not an option, where else in India will they find such an atmosphere? They give dhamki of leaving-they don't actually leave.
Bollywood gasbags talk of leaving every year-doy take them seriously?! They are just gasbags-they know will never get such an atmosphere anywhere else in India-is there a Mumbai anywhere else-including Punjab?
Vikas,
Bangalore is losing its Kannadiga identity. There is a lot of resentment against non-Kannadigas and IT people, and it has already affected IT companies in the state. If the Kannadiga-identity wins, Bangalore will not be the IT supercity that it is now.
See, you have offered the perfect solution na. They will expand in other states, as you say. Some may leave. Dioesnt matter. Other states will benefit. I did not know you had such love for other states! Please go ahead and do it ASAP. At a time when people are desperate for expansion, you are happy that they may expand in other states.
So please suggest your idea to MNS, SENA, everyone who will listen and encourage the companies in Maharashtra to expand into other states.
What is the super atmosphere in Mumbai anymore? The atmosphere is already bad - people will move out if they find it practical. It is not the dream city anymore, you can thank the HIndi media for that.
In fact, I know exactly how to make all non-Maharashtrians move out. You know too. Even Bollywood. Its easy. You just have to guess. Sorry, but cant say what it is publicly. Raj too knows what it is, Uddhav too knows. :-D
No I do not know:)
Bollywood is an IDEA; not an INDUSTRY in the covential sense. Hence, Bollywood CANNOT MOVE OUT because there is NOWHERE for them to go.
You can only move out IF you have SOMEWHERE TO GO.
Where will Bollywood go? Which city?
Please suggest a city. And you will see-Bollywood cannot go anywhere. With nowhere to go, is there any meaning to saying "We will leave" and go where??
Bollywood is an idea, not an industry.
more movies nowadays are about delhi, premiered in delhi, and more delhi-based actors too. The Mumbai-oriented Bollywood is anyway slowly getting diluted as people look at more comfortable locations to do their post production and other work from I think...
Bollywood is an idea, not an industry.
Hence, "leaving" Mumbai does not really have any meaning. What exactly is there in Mumbai from Bollywood? It is the idea of Bollywood. Bollywood does not have much infrastructure in Mumbai-does it?